Search Strategies

The Maryland State Archives Guide to Special Collections is a web-based tool to search and browse special collections of map, photographic, newspaper, private, business and religious records. For guidance on researching specific collections, see: Additional Search Strategies below.

Keyword Search searches multiple fields for the given keywords. It allows the use of the '+' search modifier.

Keyword searches the following fields:

Collection Name

Author

Description

Medium

Collection Number search navigates the user to the information page of the collection, series, or item of the given collection number.

Collection Number search uses only the numerical portion of the collection number, and does not require the "MSA SC" prefix.

Examples:

Collection Level: "1399"

Series Level: "1399-1"

Item Level: "1399-1-597"

Sub-Item Level: "1399-1-597-1"

Advanced Search

Search based upon selected criteria.

Collection Name searches name of collection, which often is named after a newspaper title, family, or the collection donor.

Collection Number searches collection number assigned to each collection. It is a unique number, like a Library call number. It does not require the "MSA SC" prefix.

Author searches author of collection. Different collections use multiple formats for the author field. If searching by name, use last name. Only use last name, first name syntax if necessary.

Description searches description field of collection. It allows use of the "+" search modifier

Date searches date field of collection for the text entered. For example, if "1896" is entered, "1896", "1896/12/30", and "1640-1896" would be returned but not "1890-1900". When searching for a specific date, use the format year then month then day including leading zeros, example "1663/09/09".

Additional Search Strategies

Access specific types of records.

For General historical photograph inquiries and thumbnail images of our most-requested collections of photographs circa 1860 to 1939, see: Historical Photographs of Maryland (mdhistpics). For descriptions of photographs in other collections, keyword search our Guide to Special Collections.

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